A ground service employee at HCM City’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport directs a passenger to the check-in area (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – Aviation staff in direct contact with
passengers will have to wear transparent face shields and will be frequently
tested for SARS-CoV-2 as part of the efforts to stop infections after two
clusters in two major international airports were detected in Vietnam’s latest
community infection wave.
The
() has issued an emergency document
demanding strengthened measures in prevention and control at
airports across the country.
CAAV
Director Dinh Viet Thang asked all to strictly follow preventive
and control measures including the use of face coverings, frequent
disinfection, avoiding large gatherings, keeping a safe distance and
submitting health declarations.
Airline
passengers are required to submit e-health declarations at tokhaiyte.vn or
via the app Vietnam Health Declaration.
Those
failed to file proper health declarations or observe disease prevention and
control measures would be refused boarding.
Thang
also asked all aviation staff to install and activate the contact tracing app Bluezone which
helps detect and deliver early warnings about COVID-19 cases and potential
risks of coming into contacts with suspect cases.
Passengers
would be instructed to keep a safe distance when checking-in or on
buses travelling from terminals to planes and vice versa.
Airport
authorities and airline operators nationwide were asked to review and assess
disease prevention and control activities to detect risks of infection.
From
February 15, Vietnam Airlines added preventive measures on flights from Hà Nội
as the number of passengers from Hà Nội to southern provinces increased sharply
after the Tet (Lunar New Year)
holiday.
Passengers
on flights from Hanoi, Quang Ninh and Hai Phong would be randomly tested for
SARS-CoV-2 when arriving at Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport.
Packaged
meals would be served in order to limit contact between flight attendants
and passengers.
The
flag carrier Vietnam Airlines would also disinfect all planes that depart from Hanoi
to Da Nang or HCM City as soon as they land. Other planes would be disinfected
when they return to Hanoi, Da Nang and HCM City.
Among
22 airports in Vietnam, Van Don Airport in northern Quang Ninh province has
been closed since January 28 after a group of employees including security
personnel were found to be infected with coronavirus. The airport is set to
reopen on February 21 after all 160 staff working at the airport were confirmed
negative for SARS-CoV-2 on February 9.
After
confirmed COVID-19 cases at the Van Don Airport, the Airport Corporation of
Vietnam (ACV) on February 4 announced that employees of all 21 active airports
would be tested for COVID-19.
On
February 6, a lugguage handler at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport was
found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2.
As
of February 13, an additional eight staff members of the airport tested
positive for the novel coronavirus, all of whom are ground service
staff and baggage handlers under Vietnam Airport Ground Services
Company Limited (VIAGS)./.
Source: VietnamPlus
